White Coat Ceremony marks start of iMedEd Initiative’s second year

Traditionally, first-year medical students are awarded white coats to signify their entry into the profession. But at UC Irvine’s Aug. 5 White Coat Ceremony, each member of the School of Medicine’s incoming class of 2015 also will receive an iPad computer.

It’s the second year the School of Medicine is giving new students a tablet computer containing the course outlines, notes, lecture slides and textbooks needed for the coming academic year—a core component of the school’s innovative iMedEd Initiative, which has grown into one of the most comprehensive, fully digital medical education programs in the U.S.

In addition to the donor-purchased iPads, the iMedEd Initiative includes the West Coast’s first portable ultrasound training curriculum, as well as advanced medical simulation and telemedicine facilities in the school’s state-of-the-art building.

“We are committed to using digital technology to benefit the education of our medical students,” said Dr. Ralph V. Clayman, dean of UC Irvine’s School of Medicine. “It is our firm belief that the integration of these technologies into healthcare will be the wave of the future, and UC Irvine seeks to be a leader in preparing students for this future.”

As the iMedEd Initiative enters its second year, several new developments help ensure its continued success:

A $1.2 million gift from John Tu, co-founder and CEO of Fountain Valley-based Kingston Technology, will cover iPad costs until 2015.

The second-year curriculum has been formatted for the iPad.

The UniHealth Foundation awarded Dr. John Christian Fox, the medical school’s director of instructional ultrasound, a three-year, $700,000 grant to create a four-year academic program in handheld ultrasound technology. His colleague Dr. Elizabeth Turner, a critical care specialist, received $50,000 from the University of California Center for Health Quality & Innovation to implement a curriculum on the bedside use of handheld ultrasound.

Under the iMedEd Initiative, UC Irvine’s School of Medicine and Australia’s University of New England School of Rural Medicine are collaborating on a way for students on both continents to participate jointly in real-time medical simulation and telemedicine training

During the initiative’s first year, Dr. Warren Wiechmann, the school’s director of instructional technologies, saw students and faculty embrace new opportunities afforded by iMedEd. “Students have a much more personal stake in how content is developed and presented with the iPad platform,” he said, “and our faculty members are more eager to try new technologies to make content more immersive.”

Second-year medical students have been exploring the tablet computer’s potential as a healthcare tool outside class. Over the summer, some have taken their iPads to Vietnam and India to see how they can be used in areas with limited Internet access. And UC Irvine students involved with the Flying Sams devised an iPad-based patient tracking system at a free clinic they helped establish in Mexico.

Additionally, Wiechmann said, he and his colleagues are working to incorporate digital microscopes and stethoscopes into the iPads, and they’re utilizing three-dimensional human anatomy programs and clinical radiology systems running on the iPad to supplement traditional anatomical education with cadavers.

“Compared to every other school, UC Irvine is far ahead on integrating technology into medical education,” said Melody Besharati, an incoming medical student who’ll receive an iPad at Friday’s White Coat Ceremony. “I’m glad to be a part of it.”

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UC Irvine contributes an annual economic impact of $4 billion. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu.

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